As beautiful and marvelously curated as someone’s Instagram and social media feeds may seem, their lives are far from perfect. Trust me. One of the many downsides to social media is how at times we find ourselves comparing our lives to others based on what they’ve published on their social media profiles. It’s easy to fall into this trap but when you think about it, it’s even easier to snap out of it once you realize what others are posting and publicizing on their social channels is only half of the story.

Let’s be real, a lot of it is a front; a small portion of their lives which they want others to see, but never the full picture. How do I know this? Because I’ve been on both sides of the coin. I’ve had very rough days and all I’ve posted have been positive thoughts and gorgeous images on my feed, and I’ve also found myself looking at someone else's feed and playing the comparing game, to later find out their lives weren’t as perfect as they portrayed them to be.

I should’ve written this post a long time ago. In fact, I'd been meaning to write this piece since summer 2016 but sometimes we receive an idea without being fully prepared to materialize it as we should. It happens.

I could say I’ve had my fair share of music festival experiences. It's not like I’m throwing in the towel anytime soon but I’ve traveled near and far to partake in them and I’ve also had the opportunity to experience them as a local. 2017 has been the first year where I’ve only attended one music festival for a day since I started attending these when I was 21. This has been due to various reasons, one of them being the subtle shift I’ve noticed in music festival culture due to the unimpeded commercialization of these events.

Whether in Puerto Rico, the US, or Europe, music festivals allow for culture to be redefined in the sense of unifying and breaking down social barriers. Chaos, drug abuse, and all negativity aside, these festivals provide the space for people from different socioeconomic backgrounds, religions, political views, and walks of life to come together and experience the music, the art, and the beauty of self-expression in community.

Unfortunately, social media has shown me a different side to music festivals. A side where people in attendance seem to be way more interested in the “scene” rather than enjoying the music and immersing themselves in the festival’s overall uplifting experience. It’s a pity. At the end of the day, to each his own but before festival season comes to an end (there’s still a ton to look forward to) I’d love to share a few thoughts on why I fell in love with music festivals in the first place and my honest take on what I’ve witnessed regarding present day music festival culture.

I’m currently on a 6 and-a-half hour flight back to New York and I couldn’t be happier. Today’s the last day of a 5-day solo trip to Madrid which I booked about a month ago and it’s been a truly unforgettable experience.

For the longest time, I’ve been craving to travel on my own but for one reason or another, it hadn’t worked out. At last, I can proudly cross this one off of my bucket list!

I have to admit, traveling alone requires some type of courage; it demands you to go at it with an open mind and an unquenchable thirst for adventure. If you can relate to this but are still on the fence about booking a solo trip, below I’m sharing 7 reasons why you should give in to this desire and make it happen. Take it from my personal experience.

Have you ever paid for a beauty service and the end result turned out to be light years away from what you wanted and expected it to be? This had been my experience with hair color, ever since I moved to NYC until I met Brianna Noelle – my “fairy hair mother” – at Original & Mineral NYC.

Let’s rewind to fall 2014. I wanted to be a platinum blonde. I wanted someone to turn my dark, thick Puerto Rican hair into a gorgeous platinum blonde mane, Khaleesi-style. The result? I still cringe at the site of this photo.

I had done my research and due diligence, I thought I had found the perfect salon in NYC to turn my platinum blonde dreams into reality! As you can imagine, I ended up with hair trauma, taking me two full years to grow out and bring my hair back to a natural healthy state. Now, let’s fast-forward to present day miracles.

LIFESTYLE. WELLNESS. SELF-DISCOVERY.

— Adrianna Naomi —

As a Digital Media & Branding Consultant, Lifestyle, Wellness, and Self-Discovery Writer and Influencer, I empower all who surround me to be the best version of themselves they could be by surrendering to the present moment and embracing their truest potential.